The trial court will pronounce the verdict on October 30 in the country’s largest ever case of killings in connection with the Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) mutiny that occurred at the Bangladesh Rifles Headquarters at Pilkhana in the city on February 25 and 26, 2009.
After the arguments were completed by both the prosecution and defence, at the special court set up at Bakshibazar Government Alia madrassah ground in Old Dhaka, Judge Mohammad Akhtaruzzaman of the third additional metropolitan sessions judge’s court of Dhaka set the date for the judgment on Sunday.
A total of 846 people, including former Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) lawmaker Nasiruddin Ahmed Pintu, the Awami League’s ward leader Torab Ali Akand and BDR deputy assistant director Mohammad Towhidul Islam are the accused in the case. Of the accused, 23 are civilians, Sheikh Baharul Islam, a prosecutor, told The Independent.
Abdul Kahar Akhand, senior special superintendent of CID, submitted the charge-sheet of the killings case on July 12, 2010, and in the case under the Explosives Act on July 27.
Among those who are standing trial are deputy assistant director (DAD) Tauhidul Alam, DAD Nasir, DAD Habib, DAD Jalil, BNP leader Nasir Uddin Pintu and local Awami League leader Torab Ali.
Originally, the charge-sheet was submitted against 850 accused in the killing case. Of them, 21 are absconding while three have died in Kashimpur central jail during the trial.
During the trial, the court set up at a makeshift building in the old part of the city, recorded the statements of 654 out of 1,345 prosecution witnesses.
Considering the number of the accused and security of the court, the government built a special one-storey tin-shed building near the Dhaka Central Jail at Bakshi Bazar. Around 1,000 members from different law enforcement and intelligence agencies were on hand to ensure security.
A total of 74 people, including 57 army officers, were killed in the mutiny at the border force’s headquarters on February 25-26 in 2009. The mutiny had also triggered revolt in other garrisons across the country. After the bloody mutiny, the border forces, then known as BDR, were renamed BGB (Border Guard Bangladesh).
The criminal case was initially filed with the then officer-in-charge of Lalbagh police station, Nabajyoti Khisa, for murder, looting, arson, and sedition. It was subsequently transferred to New Market police station.
The trial over the mutiny has already been completed. The cases of looting and murder are being tried under the country’s regular laws. The trials were conducted by the Dhaka Judges’ Court (special circumstances) at the open field since there was a large number of accused persons.
During the course of its investigation, the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) arrested a total of 2,307 people in connection with the mutiny: 2,282 of them were taken on remand, and 543 gave confessional statements. On January 5, 2011, the court took the charges of the killing case into cognisance and later framed charges against 850 accused.
-With The Independent input
